Clamping mechanism.



w. SEARS.

CLAMPING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FlLED SEPT- 4,1914.

1 1 85,839. Patented June 6, 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET l- W. T. SEARS.

CLAMPING MECHANISM. APPLICATION'FILED SEPT. 4, 19 14.

-1,185 ,839. PatentedJune 16.

2 SHEETS-SH claims following said description.

1) STATES PATENT OFFICE.

I WILLARD '1. SEARS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORTO-NILES-IBEMENT? POND COMPANY, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, ACORPORATION OF NEW J ERSEY.

CLAMPING- MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.-

Patented Jane 6, 1916.

' Application filed September 4, 1914. Serial No. 860,183.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLARD T. SnARs, a citizen of the United States,residmg at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in notedwhich issimple in construction, effec- .tive in action, and easy tocontrol.

Clamping mechanism involving my invention canbe employed with advantagein any connection where a device of this character is-necessary,although it is of particular utility when incorporated in a radial drillinvolving a rotary column. In this particular field it is adapted to beutilized for holding the column or equivalent memher in a rotativelyadjusted position, or at least holding the column sufliciently to makeaccidental movement thereof practically an impossibility. I

In the drawings accompanying and forming part of the presentspecification I have shown in detail one of the several convenient formsof embodiment of the invention, which to enable those skilled in the artto practice the same will be set forth fully in the fol-.. lowingdescription. I do not restrict myself to this particular disclosure; Imay depart therefrom in several respects within the scope of theinvention defined by the Referring to said drawings: Figure is a frontelevation partly in section, of portion of a radial-drilhequipped withclamping mechanism involving my invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal,sectioh on the line 22' of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a similar section on theline 33 of said Fig. 1, only the parts, however, at the front appearing.Fig. 4 is a sectional top plan view of pa'rt of the base and solenoidwith rack and pinion and shaft, clutch device between the shaft andpinion and certain cooperating devices Fig. 5 is a front elevation ofthe supporting bracket, the pinion and clutch. Fig. 6 is a horizontalsection through the lower end of the shaft, the loop, (partly shown)being in section, while the eccentric isin full lines. Fig. 7 is avertical section of the parts Shown in Fig. 6.

Like characters refer to like parts through out the several'views, someof which are on exaggerated scales.

As I have already observed clamping mechanism involving my invention canbe employed in many different ways. In the drawings I have shown thebase or bed 2 I and the column 3 of a radial'drill which may for examplebe like the corresponding parts shown in Letters Patent 1,089,442granted to me March 10, 1914. This column 3 is supported for rotaryadjustment by the base or bed 2, ordinarily having a dependingportion'turnable within the base which is usually made hollow.Preferably within the hollow bed or base 2 is mounted a suitableclamping device such for instance as the ring 4 (shown as split ordivided), the

.base or bed having a slot 5 through which ears orv lugs as 6 and 7 atthe terminals of the ring, extend. When this clamping ring isconstricted about the rotary column, the

latter will be held, wher eas by opening the ring, the column will bereleased and can be turned to effect adjustments about an axis. The ear7 is shown as having a hole or perforation for the passage of the bolt8' provided at one end with a suitable abutment such as thenut 9, and atthe other with a loop 10, the ear or lug 6 being slotted or apertured toreceive for free movement said,

loop 10. As shown the abutment or nut 9.

bears against the outer face of the ear or lug 7 .It, therefore, followsthat if the bolt 8 be drawn toward the left in Fig. '2, the'lu 7 throughthe nut 9, will be moved in a corresponding direction thereby to set theclamping ring 4 or cause it to closely hug j the column 3 to maintainthe latter in an adjusted position. When the bolt or equivalent element8 is freed from the pull' or stress, the ring 4 will be free to open byGK- pansion. To operate the bolt 8 I may, as shown provide an eccentricor cam '11 connected rigidly with the shaft 12 in some suitable manneras by the screw 13, the outer branch of the loop 10 having an opening orhole 14 to facilitate assemblage of-the parts in that the eccentric canbe applied to the shaft as the latter is-passed through the loop-lOdepthwisethereof, after. which the eccentric can be fastened in place bythe screw 13 adapted to be passed through the opening 14. The shaft 12as shown, is stepped at its lower end in the lug or ear 6 this timebeing unset or open.

which latter as will be obvious is fixed relatively to the opposite lugor ear 7, the upper end of said shaft 12 extending through a bracket ofpractically loop form provided at its inner end with a flange 16fastened by one or more screws as 17, to the outer surface of the bed 2.It will be evident, therefore, that the shaft 12 in the presentinstance, is susceptible solely of rotary movement, the constructionbeing such that said shaft on each intermittent operation thereof isgiven a half turn; also said shaft always turns in the same direction.

In Fig. 6 the eccentric 11 is in its retracted position, the clampingring or band 4 at It willbe observed that at this time, the low part ofthe eccentric is against the outer cross bar of the loop 10. On themovement or half turn of the shaft 12 in the manner centric 11 rotativetherewith, will by acting against the loop 10, thrust the bolt 8 to theleft in Fig. 2, thus clamping the ring in the manner already described,the maximum movement being completed when the highest part of theeccentric is against the outer} cross bar of the loop 10 at which pointthe shaft 12-will have completed a half turn, and as will be understoodthe ring 4 will be tight. On the return of the eccentric 11 to itsinitial position during another half movement of the shaft 12 saideccentric will be moved until its low part is again brought toward theloop on the outer cross bar 10,

and on such movement of the eccentric, the

bolt 8 is permitted to react and the ring 4 to expand. The foregoing isa description of one simple means of operating a clamping device such asa ring and is," I might state, hlghly advantageous. The eccentric 11always moves in the same direction inter- .mittently, however, beingadapted to successively set and unset the clamping ring. This eccentricor equivalent device is preferably electrically operated, and forthispurpose a suitable actuating device as the solenoid 18 may be provided,said solenoid being supported rigidly upon the base or bed 2. The core19 of the solenoid as shown is continued to form the rack 20, the teethof which mesh with the pinion 21 loose on but adapted to be clutchedsuitably to the shaft 12, for instance, by a pin clutch, the pinion 21and the rack 20 being mounted in the hollow bracket 15. That part of theshaft 12 which is surrounded by the pinion 21 has a radial opening orsocket 22 to receive the pin 23 constantly urged forward by the coiledspring 24, the wedge end of the pin or plunger 23 being adapted to alternately enter the beveled notches 25 and 26 formed diametrically oppositeeach other in the wall of the opening of the pinion 21. In Fig. 4 theplunger or pin 23 is occupying the notch 25, the ring 4 being assumed tobe described, the .ec-

shot into the former by the ferent type.

unset, the solenoid 18 deenergized and the draws in its core 19 or movesthe same toward the right in Figs. 1, 3 and 4, thus turning the pinion21 and hence the shaft 12 in the direction of the arrows appliedrespectively thereto in Fig. 4. 'The shaft as I have observed is given ahalf turn on each energization of the solenoid 18, the consequence beingthat the eccentric 11 is operated to move the loop 10 outward in themanner previously described. When the solenoid is deenergized bybreaking the circuit 28, the spring 27 returns the solenoid 18 andthrough the rack 20 the pinion 21 to their original positions, the notch26 being brought opposite the pin 23 on the backward movement of thepinion 21 without, however, transmitting motion to the shaft and therebynot afiecting the shifted position of the eccentric. When the bevelnotch 26 is opposite the plunger or pin 23, the latter is power of thespring 24. It, therefore, followsthat when the solenoid 18 is againenergized and the pinion 21 turned, the shaft 12 will, through theclutch,'be given a half turn to effect in the manner already described,the release of the ring 4 and hence of the column or upright which itgrips.

It will be noted that in the organization shown the cam element oreccentric 11 always moves in the same direction, being givenintermittent or successive movements through suitable means such as thesolenoid described to cause the successive setting and unsetting of'theclamping device of whatever character the same may be. While theclamping device is shown in the form of a resilient ring, this is not amatter of-consequence as it mightbe of some radically dif- As a matterof fact the invention, as I have practically already observed, is notrestricted to any detail, but I have shown one highly advantageousarrangement. I

When I speak of a clamping device I do not use the designation in arestricted but in abroad sense. It is evidentthat it is not essentialthat this clamping device should grip an object whether it be a columnor not, the elemental consideration being that the clamping device whenin operative relation should check or make hard the movement of amovable part, the clamping device, therefore, being in the nature of achecking or movement-retarding element.

What I claim is:

1. The combination of a clamping device,

means always movable in the same direction, for causingthe setting ofthe clamping device during one part of said movement and for causing theunsetting of the clamping device during another part of said movement,and a solenoid acting against said means to impart thereto saidsuccessive movements.

2. The combination of a base, a colum extending into and rotative withrespect to said base, a clamping device for the column, in said base,means supported by the base, always movable in the same direction, forcausing the setting of the clamping device during one part of themovement of said means and for causing the unsetting of the clampingdevice during another part of said movement, and a solenoid on saidcolumn for successively operating said means on successive energizationsof said solenoid.

3. The combination of a clamping'device, a rotary cam element alwaysmovable in the same direction, means for transferring the efi'ect of thecam element to the clamping device, the active portion of the camelement being shaped to cause through saidmeans the setting of theclamping device on a forward half turn of the cam element and to causethe unsetting of the clamping device on the remaining half turn of saidcam element, and a solenoid for imparting on successive energizationsthereof successive half turns to said cam'element.

4. The combination of a rotary shaft, a

forward movement of the cam in the same direction. y

5. The combination of a clamping device, rotary means always movable inthe same direction, for causing the setting of the clamping deviceduring one half of the rotary movement and for causing the unsetting ofthe clamping device during the other half of said rotary movement, and asolenoid acting against said means to impart intermittently thereto saidmovements.

6. Thecombination of a rotary shaft, a pinionloose on said shaft, asolenoid, the core of which is provided with teeth in mesh with saidpinion, said solenoid when energized being adapted through said toothedgear to forwardly rotate the pinion, means for oppositely rotating saidpinion, means for imparting to said shaft a half turn on the forwardmovement of the pinion and for preventing movement of" the shaft onreturn movement of said pinion, a cam connected-with said shaft, aclamping device, and means actuated by the cam for causing the settingof the clamping device on forward movement of the cam and for unsettingthe clamping device on a second forward movement of the cam in the samedirection.

7 The combination of a rotary column, a clamping device for said column,a solenoid, and means actuated by said solenoid, and

always movable in the same direction, for 1 causing the setting of theclamping device during one part of the movement of said means, and forcausing the unsetting of the WILLARD T.- SEARS.

Witnesses:

DAVID T. NEvIN, FRANK L. HELLENGS.

